Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana cultivar Middler.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Kalanchoe plant, botanically known as Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Middlerxe2x80x99.
The new Kalanchoe is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Kalanchoes with multi-petalled flowers.
The new Kalanchoe originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in September, 1999, of the Kalanchoe cultivar Leonardo, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,365, as the female, or seed, parent with the Kalanchoe cultivar Alexandra, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,262, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Kalanchoe was selected by the Inventor in a controlled environment from the resultant progeny of the cross-pollination on the basis of its multi-petalled flowers.
Asexual reproduction of the new Kalanchoe by terminal vegetative cuttings taken at De Lier, The Netherlands, since 2000 has shown that the unique features of this new Kalanchoe are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Middler has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Middlerxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Middlerxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Numerous multi-petalled light pink and darker pink bi-colored flowers.
2. Upright, uniform and compact plant habit.
3. Freely branching growth habit.
4. Dark green glossy leaves.
5. Excellent postproduction longevity.
Plants of the new Kalanchoe are most similar to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Leonardo. However, plants of the new Kalanchoe differ from plants of the cultivar Leonardo primarily in flower color as plants of the new Kalanchoe have light pink and darker pink bi-colored flowers whereas plants of the cultivar Leonardo have red purple-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Kalanchoe flower about two weeks later than plants of the cultivar Leonardo.
Plants of the new Kalanchoe differ from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Alexandra, in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Kalanchoe are more compact than plants of the cultivar Alexandra.
2. Plants of the new Kalanchoe have multi-petalled flowers whereas plants of the cultivar Alexandra have about four petals per flower.
3. Flowers of plants of the new Kalanchoe are light pink and darker pink bi-colored whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Alexandra are yellow in color.
Plants of the new Kalanchoe differ from plants of the cultivar La Douce, disclosed in a U.S. Plant Patent application filed concurrently, primarily in flower color.